Hugh Jackman’s ‘Pan’ Flies to the Fall to Avoid Crowded Summer Frame

With Sony’s “Pixels,” “Fox’s “Paper Towns” and the Weinstein Company’s “Southpaw” opening on July 24, Warner Bros. has decided to move Joe Wright‘s “Pan” to Oct. 9, the studio announced Monday.

The move will give Wright more time to complete the action-adventure movie, which will also have more room to breathe in the marketplace. The only other films opening Oct. 9 are Universal’s “Steve Jobs” and Relativity’s Halle Berry thriller “Kidnap.”

Monday’s announcement was made by Warner Bros. executives Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution, and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, president of international distribution.

“We wanted to give ‘Pan’ the space to extend its theatrical run, so taking it out of the cluttered summer season made the most sense. Moving the film to the heart of the fall will allow us more time to screen the picture, enabling us to capitalize on what we anticipate will be strong word of mouth,” said Fellman.

“Peter Pan is a beloved figure the world over, and the fall corridor is perfect for this epic adventure story that explores the origins of this young hero. In many markets we can take advantage of school holidays that ensure a greater opportunity for families to enjoy ‘Pan’ together,” added Kwan Vandenberg.

Wright expressed his support for the move, noting, “As you might expect, the fantastical story of Peter Pan involves very complex effects and I did not want to compromise on quality in finishing the film. This allows me and my team the time to complete the movie and tell the story the way it should be told.”

Levi Miller stars as Peter, a mischievous 12-year-old boy with an irrepressible rebellious streak, but in the bleak London orphanage where he has lived his whole life, those qualities do not exactly fly. Then one incredible night, Peter is whisked away from the orphanage and spirited off to a world of pirates, warriors and fairies called Neverland. There, he finds amazing adventures and fights life-or-death battles while trying to uncover the secret of his mother, who left him at the orphanage so long ago, and his rightful place in this magical land.

Teamed with the warrior Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara) and a new friend named James Hook (Garrett Hedlund), Peter must defeat the ruthless pirate Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman) to save Neverland and discover his true destiny — to become the hero who will forever be known as Peter Pan.

Wright directed “Pan” from a screenplay written by Jason Fuchs. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Oscar nominee Paul Webster (“Atonement”) produced the film, which was executive produced by Tim Lewis.

Amanda Seyfried co-stars in the film, which also features Adeel Akhtar (“The Dictator”) as Smee; Taejoo Na (“The Kick”) as Kwahu; Nonso Anozie (“Son of God”) as Bishop; Kathy Burke (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”) as Mother Barnabas; Kurt Egyiawan (“Skyfall”) as Murray; Lewis MacDougall (UK TV’s “In the Name of the Children”) as Nibs; and Jack Charles (“Mystery Road”) as The Chief.

“Pan” is set for release in 3D and 2D on Oct. 9, 2015. Watch the first trailer for the film below and let us know what you think in the comments section.